This afternoon, DNAinfo confirmed the unfortunate rumor — CVS plans to open a massive, 10,000+ SF store in the retail area of the condo luxury rental building planned for that block. They’re targeting a 2013 opening.

So… not only are we getting something that the neighborhood could not possibly need less (there’s a 24-hour CVS on 86th & Amsterdam, and 24-hour Duane Reades on 79th & Amsterdam and 72nd & Broadway, to say nothing of the multiple non-CVS/DR pharmacies in the area), but there’s going to be nothing there for more than a year-and-a-half??

I’m more than a little biased, because I pass this block almost every day and was a fan of Manhattan Diner and, yes, I’ll admit it, Cosi (though I had VERY mixed feelings on New Pizza Town). I’m by no means an anti-chain guy, but how many drugstores do we need? Even if they end up closing the CVS on 86th, we’re still fully saturated. They should just go ahead and put a Starbucks IN the CVS while they’re at it.

If Jimmy McMillan were to change his platform to “THERE ARE TOO MANY DAMN CHAIN PHARMACIES!” I might seriously consider voting for him…